Alcohol Poisoning Treatments
Alcohol poisoning is more than just a hangover. It's a very serious and potentially fatal condition. If you think that someone you know is suffering from alcohol poisoning, get medical help right away. The sooner you get medical treatment for your friend or family member, the better her chances of recovery are. Treatment for alcohol poisoning takes time as there's no easy way to reverse symptoms.
Other People Are Reading
-
Causes
-
Alcohol poisoning is usually caused simply by ingesting too much alcohol, often in a short period of time. In general, your body can process about one unit of alcohol per hour---basically the amount of alcohol contained in a bottle of beer or a small glass of wine. If you drink too much, the excess alcohol ends up in the blood stream where it affects the rest of the body. Certain medications, such as sedatives or opiates, can increase the effects of alcohol.
Process
-
How does this excess alcohol affect the body? The excess alcohol depresses the nerves that keep your heart and lungs going---so you're in danger of going into a coma and dying. If you've drunk enough to induce alcohol poisoning, your gag reflex becomes weak, making it difficult for the body to get rid of excess alcohol in the stomach. If your gag reflex does kick in while you're unconscious, you can accidentally choke to death on your own vomit. Alcohol poisoning also leads to hypothermia (low body temperature), which can cause a heart attack, and low blood sugar, which can cause seizures.
-
Symptoms
-
Symptoms of alcohol poisoning include unconsciousness (the person can't be woken up), slow or irregular breathing, cold skin and pale or blue skin (especially around the lips). Vomiting may occur. A person who's not unconscious might act confused. Some people can have seizures. Not all these symptoms have to occur at once---if you see just one or two, it's time to call for medical help.
Treatment
-
If you think that someone has alcohol poisoning, call 911 or a poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. While you're waiting for medical assistance, try to keep the victim sitting up, or lying on their side, to prevent him from choking on his own vomit. There's no real way to "cure" alcohol poisoning. Instead, the body has to get rid of any excess alcohol over time. Treatment involves supporting bodily functions while this process occurs---a person with alcohol poisoning will receive oxygen therapy, extra fluid and airway protection to help ease breathing and prevent choking.
Warning
-
A person with alcohol poisoning can't be cured by a cold shower or coffee. They also can't be left to "sleep it off"---in fact, this is one of the most dangerous things to do, as while the person is sleeping even more alcohol can enter her bloodstream. A person unconscious from alcohol poisoning needs immediate medical intervention.
-
